Arts

First Coffeehouse of the Year Overcomes Technical Difficulties with Supportive Audience

The first Coffeehouse this fall offered an array of acts, including stand-up poetry, singing, DJing, and more. Held in Lower Right of Paresky Commons, students packed into the seats—donuts in hand—to support their peers on Friday.

Performer Kashvi Ramani ’24 commented on what was special about the audience at Coffeehouse.

“Something that was new and definitely beneficial to me was just performing in front of my peers. Back at [my old] school, there were talent shows and that kind of thing, but not a lot of people watched them. Here, it felt like a really big deal because these are people that are going to act as both my friends and my peers, like my co-workers, and people that were going to actually benefit from seeing me perform,” said Ramani.

Coffeehouse serves as a space where Andover students can participate and showcase their talent. Many students attended to support their friends’ performances, including Whitney Kanter ’24. Kanter highlighted the positive and uplifting atmosphere of the show.

“I really loved seeing my friends perform, because I didn’t know they had so much talent, but I loved even through some of the tough technical difficulties, everyone was really supportive of the performers. And I just loved that encouraging environment. It was so sweet…if something went wrong everyone was just kind of cheering louder, which I love,” said Kanter.

From the microphones screeching, lights turning off, or speakers dying, many acts were interrupted by technical difficulties. Additionally, due to the large spacial area of Commons, there were no distinct rows for the audience to sit in. Performer Ruthie Collett ’24 recommended a change in location for the next Coffeehouse.

“I kind of wish they did it in a different place because the seating was very weird and awkward. People [were] banging around in the back,” said Collett.

Despite the difficulties, the audience was still supportive and even turned on their flashlights when the lights turned off. Ramani appreciated the support of the audience and shared advice for students who may be too scared to perform.

“For anyone that wants to get into writing or performing, I would say kind of just jump into it. This was my first time performing at all in Andover. And it was a nerve-wracking experience. But it was really rewarding,” said Ramani.

Anabelle Biggs ’23 and Ethan Weinstein ’23 performs a duet.

Ramani finds Coffee House a
perfect opportunity to share her
slam poetry.